Think you’ve got a stressful job? Just be thankful you’re not a urologist. (And our sympathies if you are one.)
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks the most stressful professions in the country, and urology tops the list, followed by a variety of other health care and front-line jobs. What exactly qualifies a job for a high ranking? According to the bureau’s Occupational Information Network, it’s mostly about “accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.”
For what it’s worth, most residents in Southwest Florida don’t work in high-stress jobs, according to financial research firm Smartest Dollar. Its study looked at the highest stress jobs (meaning a ranking of 90 or above on the bureau’s rating scale) and totaled the percentages for major metro areas in the United States. In Naples, about 6.6% of residents were in high-stress positions, while about 7.2% of Fort Myers-Cape Coral residents had stressful jobs. Statewide, that figure stood at about 7.8%.
Stress level Occupation
100 Urologists
99 Film and Video Editors
98 Anesthesiologist Assistants
98 Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates
98 Telephone Operators
97 Acute Care Nurses
97 Obstetricians and Gynecologists
97 Public Safety Telecommunicators
96 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
96 Nurse Anesthetists
96 Nurse Midwives
96 Transit and Railroad Police
95 Arbitrators, Mediators and Conciliators
95 Meeting, Convention and Event Planners
95 Patient Representatives
94 Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
94 Art Therapists
94 Chief Executives
94 Correctional Officers and Jailers
94 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
94 Healthcare Social Workers
94 Midwives
94 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
94 Special Education Teachers, Middle School
93 Critical Care Nurses
93 Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
93 First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
93 Funeral Home Managers
93 Lodging Managers
93 Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
93 Mental Health Counselors
93 Physician Assistants
93 Psychiatric Aides
93 Respiratory Therapists
93 Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
92 Animal Control Workers
92 Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products
92 Dietetic Technicians
92 Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire and Ambulance
92 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
92 Hospitalists
92 Marriage and Family Therapists
92 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
92 Neurologists
92 Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers
92 Prosthodontists
92 Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
91 Actors
91 Air Traffic Controllers
91 Biomass Power Plant Managers
91 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
91 Coroners
91 Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
91 Data Entry Keyers
91 Detectives and Criminal Investigators
91 Firefighters
91 Hearing Aid Specialists
91 Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan
91 Pharmacists
91 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
91 Producers and Directors
91 Real Estate Sales Agents
91 Veterinarians
90 Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
90 Athletes and Sports Competitors
90 Chefs and Head Cooks
90 Claims Adjusters, Examiners and Investigators
90 Compliance Managers
90 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
90 Educational, Guidance and Career Counselors and Advisers
90 Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary
90 Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
90 Investment Fund Managers
90 Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
90 Naturopathic Physicians
90 Passenger Attendants
90 Phlebotomists
90 Psychiatric Technicians
90 Quality Control Systems Managers
90 Social and Community Service Managers
90 Sound Engineering Technicians
90 Subway and Streetcar Operators
90 Surgical Assistants
Editor’s Note: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics develops stress ratings for 872 professions. The highest rating is 100 (urologist) and the lowest is 37 (couriers and messengers).
